Biographical
Note
William S. Forbes (1831-1905) was born in 1831 at Falmouth, Virginia.
He attended Fredericksburg Academy and Concord Academy during his early
life. He began his study of medicine under the direction of Dr. George
Carmichael. In 1850/51 he attended lectures at the University of Virginia.
In November 1851 he moved to Philadelphia and entered Jefferson Medical
College. He graduated from Jefferson in 1852 and soon after attended
lectures in medicine, surgery, and diseases of the chest at Pennsylvania
Hospital. He also attended E. Parrish’s School of Practical Pharmacy.
He became Resident Physician at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1853 and served
until March 1855. In 1854/55 he attended lectures in anatomy at the
University of Pennsylvania. In 1855 Forbes was certified as a physician
by the British Consulate and offered his services as an American Volunteer
Surgeon to the British Army during the Crimean War. During his service
he met and served with Florence Nightingale, who gave him her instrument
kit in memory of their association. Before returning to Philadelphia
after the close of his service in 1856, Forbes took a course in surgery
and anatomy in Paris.

Forbes began
his medical career in Philadelphia in 1857 when he open the College
Avenue Anatomical School. Serving primarily dental students, the school
closed 1871. In 1859 he married Celanire Bernoudi Sims, commonly called
Cellie. He life was soon complicated by the Civil War. Even though he
was a southerner and his brothers sided with the south, he chose to
support the north and in 1862 the War Department appointed him Surgeon
of Volunteers. Forbes also served as Medical Director of the Thirteenth
Army under General Grant. He resigned in 1863 and returned to Philadelphia
where he received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania in March
1866.

In 1867 Forbes
was instrumental in obtaining the passage of the Anatomical Act, which
regulated the attainment of bodies for anatomic dissection. However,
the law was ineffective and limited to only Philadelphia and Allegheny
Counties. In 1879 he was appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy at Jefferson
with the responsibility of obtaining bodies for dissection. In 1882
Forbes was arrested and charged with conspiracy to despoil graves, but
was acquitted of the charges in 1883. As a result of Forbes trial and
the subsequent publicity, in 1883 a new Anatomical Act was passed. This
Act required that coroners turn over all unclaimed bodies to a state-wide
board that would distribute the bodies equally among the medical institutions.

In 1886 Forbes
was appointed Professor of Anatomy at Jefferson. The following year
he was appointed to conduct the general surgical clinic in addition
to his duties in anatomy. While he retired as Professor of Anatomy in
1894, Forbes continued to teach five clinics yearly. In addition, he
became honorary president of the student organized W.S. Forbes Anatomical
Society. In 1905 the Medical Alumni of the University of Pennsylvania
presented Forbes with a loving cup in recognition of his achievements
in medical science. The same year, members of Jefferson’s classes of
1905-1908 commissioned Thomas Eakins to paint a portrait of Forbes,
which was presented at the 1905 commencement. Forbes died six months
later on 17 December 1905, after suffering from successive attacks of
angina pectoris and only five days after delivering his last lecture
to Jefferson students.

Scope and
Contents
This collection contains materials by or about William S. Forbes and
numerous members of his family including his grandparents, Francis and
Sally (Innes) Thorton; his parents, Murray and Sally Forbes; his siblings,
Alfred, Kate, David, and Elizabeth; and his wife, Cellie from 1790-1969.
The materials include correspondence (1792-1936) of William S. Forbes,
his grandparents, parents, siblings, children, wife, and various other
relatives. The correspondence details Forbes' early life in Philadelphia
while in school and working, his experiences during both the Civil War
and the Crimean War, his appointments by Jefferson Medical College as
Demonstrator of Anatomy and Professor of Anatomy, and his arrest and
acquittal of grave robbing charges. The collection contains Forbes’
notebooks (1850-1851) while a student at the University of Virginia
and his matriculation cards (1851-1855) from the University of Pennsylvania
and Jefferson Medical College. The collection contains his medical manuscripts
(1860-1898) and a few of his lectures and presentations. The materials
also include member lists and bylaws of the W.S. Forbes Anatomical League
(1895-1905). Also contained in the collection are various financial,
legal, and business documents (1789-1891) of a number of Forbes relatives.
The collection contains newspaper clippings (1800-1906) that discuss
the trial of Forbes and his death. Also contained in the collection
are genealogical and biographical material of Forbes and his family.

Organization and Arrangement

Correspondence (1792-1936)
Arranged in alphabetical order by name of receiver or sender

Education (1850-1856)
Arranged in chronological order

Military Service (1855-1863)
Arranged in chronological order

Medical Career (1855-1886)
Arranged in chronological order

Lectures and Presentations (1902-1905)
Arranged in chronological order

Manuscripts (1860-1898)
Arranged in chronological order

Forbes Anatomical League (1895-1905)
Arranged in chronological order

Religion (1868-1875)

Financial Documents (1789-1887)
Arranged in chronological order

Legal and Business Documents (1790-1891)
Arranged in chronological order